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Comment

It seems that the majority of posts are from a small 'elite" group...like a club and they don't respond to all as they do to the group. A person can post something interesting and on point and most likely no responce, But if one in the group breaks a nail, it will go on and on. I have seen this for months. They can do what they like but it is not a very "open to new members" group imo

Comment

Yea they are pretty weird in that way....not really sure why.
It is a real b!tch to post pics there as well.
They do have great info tho, and I read a ton of it. I just don't post much. Mainly because of the very reason you stated.
As for welding forums I like Welding Web a lot. It is huge. It has it's own brand of strangeness, but so does this place too IMO

Comment

Yea they are pretty weird in that way....not really sure why.
It is a real b!tch to post pics there as well.
They do have great info tho, and I read a ton of it. I just don't post much. Mainly because of the very reason you stated.
As for welding forums I like Welding Web a lot. It is huge. It has it's own brand of strangeness, but so does this place too IMO

When I post pics there I usually get b!tched out because I didnt do it right...Although I just posted something over there and havent been yelled at......yet

Comment

If you think that is bad, join Practical Machinist & start a thread on Bridgeports or Atlas/Craftsman lathes.

It's never pretty.

I've only been a member there since May 2008. I only reply to things I think I can add to the discussion. Most times I just read & enjoy the information.

I also get a lot out of WeldinWeb, but if you want to start some fireworks, start talking about building a trailer, a receiver hitch or stretching a frame. Or a chinese welder. You will get your head handed to you on a platter. Not a silver one, just a simple platter.

But I enjoy & get a lot of good information from both sites. Here too, even though I primarily read the threads & don't say much. But if you knew me in real life, I talk to students all day long, don't really have much to say in the evenings.

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If you think that is bad, join Practical Machinist & start a thread on Bridgeports or Atlas/Craftsman lathes.

It's never pretty.

I've only been a member there since May 2008. I only reply to things I think I can add to the discussion. Most times I just read & enjoy the information.

I also get a lot out of WeldinWeb, but if you want to start some fireworks, start talking about building a trailer, a receiver hitch or stretching a frame. Or a chinese welder. You will get your head handed to you on a platter. Not a silver one, just a simple platter.

But I enjoy & get a lot of good information from both sites. Here too, even though I primarily read the threads & don't say much. But if you knew me in real life, I talk to students all day long, don't really have much to say in the evenings.

Mark my perspective is that you are treated very well at SFT. I am one of the original members at SFT and speaking for myself I always respond to a post if I know the subject. I don't speak just to boost my post count.

As far as posting pictures it couldn't be easier, and they will be there til SFT shuts the doors.

And for all who say they have felt unwelcome I will post to your thread even if I don't have any credible input. I'll just do what I do best...be an ******* and I bet you won't see that in print here like you will at SFT. We don't have smother moderation..

Comment

It really helps not having a off topic,,, this is a plus. The puter has to have a home page, mine is Hobart, similar to this. A principle that exemplifies the best there and here is that the owners and moderators are basic non participants, they are loose and can take some criticism without having a baby, there are not moderated posts about the product. Talk about all welding machines including competitor is accepted. hi ideal,,, Only moderation is over conflict.

Milwaukee tool tried it but thecouldn'tnt get past the hurt feelings if someone mentioned ididn'tnt work out. They could have been a class leader like these 2 (Hobart/Miller) who must understand,,,, either on their own or via consulting that the discussion including their competition is a no lose situation in this game. Very similar in numbers to political science, looking for the undecided, pulling new entrants into the game with better marketing and really better products tailored to a newer niche,,, the 200A compact feeder is near revolutionary to some extent, has kept the lid on the cost of even bigger equipment, made it the cost of a new TV.

Participation has dropped off,,, a lot due to vast numbers, more diversity, I looked at a lot of forums, quite in depth in some respect, a lot of people that were steady on Hobart way back when have split, see a couple on tractor forums I have looked at, some auto, some mechanical, some sft and a dozen others.

Shown what happens when we all too chummy, pretty quick welding is about 10% of it.

Comment

It's not just me Moe, I think everyone is treated well. Rarely do we have an abuse of the rules, as most people are free to express their opinions. Sometimes rather forcefully.

Overall, I like SFT for a lot of reasons. There is all kinds of information available on that or any one of the forums I belong to. I don't always post, but I read and absorb a lot of information

An example: I was given a lathe & mill. I've learned how to be a hobby machinist in the past 2-3 years.

No idea why I am quoting Mark Ball it just will not go away.
I lost what little standing I had on SFT over the flap wheel test debacle.
I had the pile of 4 on my desk waiting on the big grinding and finishing job I knew was comming up. On the day the grinding started, picked them up and headed into the shop when I got an emergency phone call, not thinking on the way out the door I set them down on the bench in the shop. When I got back the pile was gone and when i asked how they worked the reply was ok I guess. pretty hard to give a review with that answer so I never said anything.